Wine & Cheese Party Tips

Knives: Have one cheese knife per selection. Never mingle your cheese. You can use a butter knife for soft cheese and a sharp knife or slicer for firm cheese.

Temperature: This is very, very important. Cheese belongs in the fridge of course, but never serve it cold. Let it stand until it is at room temperature. The difference in taste is immense.

Place the cheese sporadically: Make stations in your home where people can gather to sample the cheese and wine. This way, your guests can mingle and walk about, rather than stand in one spot. This is the proper atmosphere to create for a wine and cheese. The flow of conversation is just as crucial as the cheddar and Chardonnay.

Wine and cheese party accompaniments

There is more to a wine and cheese party than just wine and cheese, of course. You need to entice your guests with some stellar accompaniments. Here are some suggestions:

Crackers: Good crackers, guys, not the crap your mother gave you for lunch.

Bread: See above. Not white bread, but a crusty, hearty, whole grain variety. Go to a bakery and grab whatever is most fresh. Just keep in mind that strong olive bread, for example, while fantastic, may detract from the cheeses.

Fruit: Sliced stone fruit like plums and nectarines look good, as do Japanese pear slices, grapes and apples.

Nuts: Walnuts are an excellent complement to many cheeses. Toast them and serve warm. Others that work well are pine nuts, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts.

Chocolate: There is one kind of chocolate to serve at a wine and cheese. Very strong, dark chocolate. Do not entertain any other variety.

get the party started

With that, you now have all you need to get your wine and cheese party under way. Invite your guests, pop in some good music and have a blast. Just make sure you have enough of that wine to keep the party going. Enjoy.